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Thursday

י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Thursday
י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

Mitzvah 86) – To not swear by the name of idols

Torah Portion: Mishpatim

The name of the gods of others you shall not mention (Shemos 23:13).

It is a negative commandment that we not swear by the name of idols, nor by those who worship them, nor even to have a gentile take an oath by the name of an idol, as is written, The name of the gods of others you shall not mention (Shemos 23:13).  The prohibition extends to both one who swears by the idol and to one who imposes such an oath on another person. Based on this verse our Sages added an additional decree that a person may also not say to his fellow, “Wait for me next to the such-and-such idol.”

Among the roots of the mitzvah is the aim of distancing us from any aspect of idolatry, whether in deed or speech, so that no thought of it ever enters our minds. Our Sages noted that the Torah cautions us about this in forty-four places, on account of its great repulsiveness.

Among the laws of this mitzvah we have that it is forbidden to mention the name of a foreign deity even when not in connection to an oath. The only names of idols that we are allowed to utter are those that are mentioned in the books of the Torah. It is also forbidden to cause others to swear and fulfill such oaths that were made by the name of some idol.

This mitzvah applies in all places and at all times, to both men and women.